Aloha Thrives in the Desert: Annual Arizona Aloha Festival Celebrates 30 Years

By Patty Novak, Controller, Phoenix Accounting Center

The Arizona Aloha Festival draws a massive crowd of desert dwellers and others every March. Attendees experience top-notch hula and other Pacific Island entertainment, tasty “local style” grinds, keiki (children) activities, Island shopping, and more. Matson has been an ardent and generous supporter of the cultural celebration for many years.

This year’s festival was extraordinary for two reasons. First, it was a remembrance of the historical legacy of Lahaina and those who lost their lives in last year’s tragic wildfires. Second, it was a salute to the 30th anniversary of what has grown into a popular and successful community event, where the cultures of Hawaii and many other Island communities, all of which Matson serves, are celebrated with the Arizona locals and others who travel from Hawaii, California, Nevada, and other places to participate in this event.

Matson is the official sponsor of the printed festival program, and with the support of the Matson Activities Committee, numerous employees volunteer at this annual event. Mitch Minuto, senior general accounting analyst in the Phoenix office, took over the staffing and operation of the information booth this year and is now a member of the Arizona Aloha Festivals planning committee.

The information booth at the event entrance is the festival’s first Aloha touchpoint. The Matson volunteer troupe and a few other dedicated supporters distributed programs with smiles to over 75,000 attendees over the two-day weekend event.

While many Matson volunteers shared their aloha at the information booth, other Matson volunteers contributed their time and talent by selling festival t-shirts and raffle tickets, assisting at the entertainment stages, and creating Island-inspired crafts with the keikis.

A special “mahalo” to Jami Manthey, customer service manager, for representing Matson at this year’s welcoming ceremony, as well as Judy Czech and Lilli Fryling, both account specialists 3, who represented Matson at the welcoming ceremonies last year and the year before, respectively.

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Aloha Festivals, I am very grateful for Matson’s contributions and investment in the Arizona community. With the generous support of Matson, the Matson Activities Committee, and our enthusiastic employee volunteers, the Arizona Aloha Festival continues to be an entertaining, educational, and free family event, representing Hawaii and all the Pacific and South Pacific Island cultures Matson serves. The Arizona Aloha Festivals organization looks forward to spreading aloha in the desert for many years to come.